Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections LibraryP.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
URL: https://small.library.virginia.edu/
Sharon Defibaugh
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
William S. Kibler papers, MSS 15270, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was given by the Town Council of Stanley, Virginia, through Mike Salvino, William S. Kibler Library, to the University of Virginia Library, in 2011.
Biographical / Historical
William Kibler (1911-2002) was a student at the University of Virginia from 1929 to 1932; he graduated on June 14, 1932. That same year he assumed his first teaching position at a one room school in Cubbage Hollow, just east of Stanley, Virginia. From 1933 to 1940 he was a teacher, basketball coach and football coach at Shenandoah High School. He was a Masters student at Harvard from 1935/6 to 1938; further interruptions would make this a sixteen year process – he attained his degree in 1951. In 1936 his father Rufus Kibler died. In 1941 William took the position of principal at Grove Hill Elementary School.
In 1943 he was drafted as a Private in Company A, 1302nd S.U.R.C. In 1944 he was a Private in the 345th Harbor Craft Company. In this same company William was made corporal in June 1944, and sergeant in mid-June 1944. He trained primarily in Florida, spent three months in England, and was then transferred to France. He was next stationed in Belgium, where he saw significant combat. He earned a medal for his involvement in the Battle of the Bulge (1944-1945). His letter correspondence is largely with his mother, Julia Kibler (Mrs. Benton Koontz). From 1945 to 1946 he remained in the army and worked with recovering soldiers at Woodrow Wilson Hospital in Fishersville, Virginia. He was discharged in May 1946, whereupon he took the position of English teacher at Florida Southern College; he eventually became the head of the department. In 1949 William returned to the University of Virginia to study German and French; during this time he taught Freshman English. From 1950 to 1952 he studied, wrote, and published "I Don't Know Why," a book of 25 short stories about his observations of country life in Virginia. From 1951 to 1956/7 he worked for a secret branch of the government – the Armed Forces Security Agency, a forerunner of the National Security Agency – intercepting messages during the Korean War. He informed the United States government mostly about economic and living conditions in North Korea. He would transition from educating military officers to teaching their children at the Columbia Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., where he taught for six years, becoming the head of their English Department. From 1964 to 1965 William traveled around the world in about eighty days; this adventure would inspire him to spend the next twenty years visiting more than thirty countries – he toured most of Europe, Central and South America, portions of Asia and Africa, and sections of the Middle East. Notably, during his 1976 trip to the Middle East, he narrowly missed an attack by a terrorist group. He would eventually return to Virginia, where he continued to teach and write. On September 3, 1980, he was honored as a Page County Retired Teacher. In 1997 he was commended as a former teacher at Shenandoah High School.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains the papers of William S. Kibler (1911-2002), a high school teacher and educator, Stanley, Virginia, ca. 1925-2002, 23,684 items (103 Hollinger boxes; 43 linear feet) including his diaries, 1936-2002 April, recording in detail Kibler's daily activities as well as his impressions of events, travel journals and manuscripts for chiefly foreign trips, slides, postcards, and photographs, chiefly concerning his trips, both high school and college papers, literary work, and correspondence.
Arrangement
This collection is organized in five series: Series I: Diaries (Boxes 1-60); Series II: Travel Journals and Manuscripts (Boxes 61-68); Series III: Slides, Postcards, and Photographs (Boxes 69-87); Series IV: Literary Work and School Papers (Boxes 88-92); and Series V: Correspondence and Military Records (Boxes 93-103).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Gay men, White
- High school teachers - Virginia- Stanley
- Stanley (Va.) - History
- Travel
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American
- diaries
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- Kibler, William S. (William S. Kibler), 1911-2002
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- High school teachers - Virginia- Stanley
- Stanley (Va.) - History
Container List
- Mixed Materials box: 1
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1936-1937 August
- Mixed Materials box: 2
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1937 August-1939 February
- Mixed Materials box: 3
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1939 February-1940 July
- Mixed Materials box: 4
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1940 July-1942 September
- Mixed Materials box: 5
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1942 September-1946
- Mixed Materials box: 6
Diaries1 Cubic Feet1946-1947
- Mixed Materials box: 7
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1947-1948
- Mixed Materials box: 8
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1947-1949
- Mixed Materials box: 9
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1948-1950
- Mixed Materials box: 10
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1949-1950
- Mixed Materials box: 11
Diaries1 folder(s)1950-1951
- Mixed Materials box: 12
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1952-1953
- Mixed Materials box: 13
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1952-1954
- Mixed Materials box: 14
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1953-1955 February
- Mixed Materials box: 15
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1955 February-1956 January
- Mixed Materials box: 16
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1956 January-1957 February
- Mixed Materials box: 17
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1957, 1962 September-1963 May
- Mixed Materials box: 18
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1963 May-1964 May
- Mixed Materials box: 19
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1964 May-December, 1966 May-1967
- Mixed Materials box: 20
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1970-1972 June
- Mixed Materials box: 21
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1975 December-1976 December
- Mixed Materials box: 22
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1976 December 22-1977 December 17
- Mixed Materials box: 23
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1977 December 18-1978 June 13
- Mixed Materials box: 24
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1978 June 14-1979 May 3
- Mixed Materials box: 25
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1979 May 3-1980 February 10
- Mixed Materials box: 26
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1980 February 11-September 30
- Mixed Materials box: 27
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1980 October 1-1981 May 11
- Mixed Materials box: 28
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1981 May 11-1982 February 23
- Mixed Materials box: 29
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1982 February 24-October 22
- Mixed Materials box: 30
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1982 October 22-1983 June 24
- Mixed Materials box: 31
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1983 June 24-1984 February 21
- Mixed Materials box: 32
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1984 February 21-September 22
- Mixed Materials box: 33
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1984 September 22-1985 June 4
- Mixed Materials box: 34
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1985 June 5-1986 January 14
- Mixed Materials box: 35
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1986 January 14-August 19
- Mixed Materials box: 36
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1986 August 19-1987 March 12
- Mixed Materials box: 37
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1987 March 12-October 1
- Mixed Materials box: 38
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1987 October 1-1988 April 29
- Mixed Materials box: 39
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1988 April 29-November 12
- Mixed Materials box: 40
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1988 November 12-1989 May 7
- Mixed Materials box: 41
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1989 May 7-November 26
- Mixed Materials box: 42
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1989 November 26-1990 June 5
- Mixed Materials box: 43
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1990 June 5-December 10
- Mixed Materials box: 44
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1990 December 10-1991 June 25
- Mixed Materials box: 45
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1991 June 26-1992 January 17
- Mixed Materials box: 46
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1992 January 17-August 27
- Mixed Materials box: 47
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1992 August 27-1993 April 10
- Mixed Materials box: 48
1993 April 10-November 26.5 Cubic Feet1993 April 10-November 26
- Mixed Materials box: 49
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1993 November 27-1994 July 12
- Mixed Materials box: 50
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1994 July 12-1995 February 20
- Mixed Materials box: 51
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1995 February 20-October 10
- Mixed Materials box: 52
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1995 October 10-1996 May 30
- Mixed Materials box: 53
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1996 May 30-1997 January 27
- Mixed Materials box: 54
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1997 January 27-September 19
- Mixed Materials box: 55
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1997 September 19-1998 May 8
- Mixed Materials box: 56
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1998 May 8-1999 January 11
- Mixed Materials box: 57
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1999 January 11-August 21
- Mixed Materials box: 58
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet1999 August 21-2000 July 25
- Mixed Materials box: 59
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet2000 July 26-2001 May 19
- Mixed Materials box: 60
Diaries.5 Cubic Feet2001 May 19-2002 April 16
- Manuscripts box: 61 folder: 1-7
Trips – World Tour, 7 folders7 folder(s)1964 December-1965 February
- Manuscripts box: 62 folder: 1-6
Trips - Russia, 6 folders6 folder(s)1967
- Manuscripts box: 63 folder: 1
Trips - Central European1 folder(s)1968
- Manuscripts box: 63 folder: 2
Trips - Spain and Morocco1 folder(s)1969
- Manuscripts box: 63 folder: 3
Trips - Greek Tour, Switzerland, Italy, and Yugoslavia1 folder(s)1970
- Manuscripts box: 63 folder: 4-5
Trips – England and Scandinavian Tour, 2 folders1 folder(s)1971
- Manuscripts box: 64 folder: 1
Trips – Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey1 folder(s)1972
- Manuscripts box: 64 folder: 2
Trips – General European Tour1 folder(s)1973
- Manuscripts box: 64 folder: 3-5
Trips – South America, 3 folders3 folder(s)1974
- Manuscripts box: 65 folder: 1
Trips – Belgium and Iceland1 folder(s)1974
- Manuscripts box: 65 folder: 2
Trips – South Pacific1 folder(s)1975 Spring
- Manuscripts box: 65 folder: 3
Trips – Mexico Tour1 folder(s)1975 Fall
- Manuscripts box: 65 folder: 4
Trips – Orient Tour1 folder(s)1976 Spring
- Manuscripts box: 66 folder: 1
Trips – Middle East Tour1 folder(s)1976 Fall
- Manuscripts box: 66 folder: 2
Trips – Florida and Guatemala1 folder(s)1977 Spring
- Manuscripts box: 66 folder: 3
Trips – South Africa1 folder(s)1977 Fall
- Manuscripts box: 66 folder: 4
Trips – Tour of the Alps1 folder(s)1978
- Manuscripts box: 67 folder: 1
Trips – India Tour1 folder(s)1978
- Manuscripts box: 67 folder: 2
Trips – Yucatan/Mexico1 folder(s)1979 Spring
- Manuscripts box: 67 folder: 3
Trips – Mallorca and Southern France1 folder(s)1979 Fall
- Manuscripts box: 67 folder: 4
Trips – Great Britain1 folder(s)1980 May-June
- Manuscripts box: 67 folder: 5
Trips – Florida and Costa Rica1 folder(s)1980 November
- Manuscripts box: 67 folder: 6
Trips – Yugoslavia1 folder(s)1981 May-June
- Manuscripts box: 68 folder: 1
Trips – Florida and Jamaica1 folder(s)1981 November
- Manuscripts box: 68 folder: 2
Trips – Southern Italy and Sicily1 folder(s)1982 May
- Manuscripts box: 68 folder: 3
Trips – Canary Islands1 folder(s)1982 November
- Manuscripts box: 68 folder: 4
Trips – France1 folder(s)1983 May 17-June 2
- Manuscripts box: 68 folder: 5
Trips – Tunisia1 folder(s)1983
- Manuscripts box: 68 folder: 6
Trips – Portugal1 folder(s)1984 October-November
- Slides box: 69 folder: 1-3
Slides – World Tour, 3 folders3 folder(s)1964-1965
- Slides box: 69 folder: 4-6
Slides – Russia, 3 folders3 folder(s)1967
- Slides box: 70 folder: 1-3
Slides – Central European Tour, 3 folders3 folder(s)1968
- Slides box: 70 folder: 4-6
Slides – Best of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, 3 folders3 folder(s)1969
- Slides box: 71 folder: 1-3
Slides – Greek Tour, Switzerland, Italy, and Yugoslavia, 3 folders3 folder(s)1970
- Slides box: 71 folder: 4-6
Slides – England and Scandinavian Tour, 3 folders3 folder(s)1971
- Slides box: 72 folder: 1-3
Slides – Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, 3 folders3 folder(s)1972
- Slides box: 72 folder: 4-6
Slides – General European Tour, 3 folders3 folder(s)1973
- Slides box: 73 folder: 1-3
Slides – South America, 3 folders3 folder(s)1974
- Slides box: 73 folder: 4-6
Slides – Belgium and Iceland, 3 folders3 folder(s)1974
- Slides box: 74 folder: 1-3
Slides – South Pacific, 3 folders3 folder(s)1975 Spring
- Slides box: 74 folder: 4-6
Slides – Mexico Tour, 3 folders3 folder(s)1975 Fall
- Slides box: 75 folder: 1-3
Slides – Orient Tour, 3 folders3 folder(s)1976 Spring
- Slides box: 75 folder: 4-6
Slides – Middle East Tour, 3 folders3 folder(s)1976 Fall
- Slides box: 76 folder: 1-3
Slides – Florida and Guatemala, 3 folders3 folder(s)1977 Spring
- Slides box: 76 folder: 4-6
Slides – South Africa, 3 folders1 folder(s)1977 Fall
- Slides box: 77 folder: 1-3
Slides – Tour of the Alps, 3 folders3 folder(s)1978
- Slides box: 77 folder: 4-6
Slides - India Tour, 3 folders3 folder(s)1978
- Slides box: 78 folder: 1-2
Slides – Yucatan and Mexico, 2 folders2 folder(s)1979
- Slides box: 78 folder: 3-4
Slides – Mallorca and Southern France2 folder(s)1979
- Slides box: 78 folder: 5-6
Slides – Great Britain, 2 folders2 folder(s)1980
- Slides box: 79 folder: 1-3
Slides – Florida and Costa Rica, 3 folders3 folder(s)1980
- Slides box: 79 folder: 4-6
Slides – Yugoslavia, 3 folders3 folder(s)1981
- Slides box: 80 folder: 1-3
Slides – Florida and Jamaica, 3 folders3 folder(s)1981
- Slides box: 80 folder: 4-6
Slides – Southern Italy and Sicily, 3 folders3 folder(s)1982
- Slides box: 81 folder: 1-3
Slides – Canary Islands, 3 folders3 folder(s)1982
- Slides box: 81 folder: 4-6
Slides – France, 3 folders3 folder(s)1983
- Slides box: 82 folder: 1-3
Slides – Tunisia, 3 folders3 folder(s)1983
- Slides box: 82 folder: 4-6
Slides – Portugal, 3 folders3 folder(s)1984
- Slides box: 83 folder: 1-4
Slides – "Best of Tours," 4 folders4 folder(s)1964-1973
- Slides box: 83 folder: 5
Slides – "Best of Tours"1 folder(s)1974-1977
- Slides box: 84 folder: 1-3
Slides – "Best of Tours," 3 folders3 folder(s)1974-1977
- Slides box: 84 folder: 4-6
Slides – "Best of Tours," 3 folders3 folder(s)1977-1979
- Slides box: 85 folder: 1-7
Slides – General, 7 folders7 folder(s)1986-1994
- Slides box: 86 folder: 1-3
Slides – General, 3 folders3 folder(s)1986-1992
- Slides box: 86 folder: 4
Slides – Flowers from Kibler's Yard1 folder(s)1978-1993
- Slides box: 86 folder: 5
Slides – Homecoming Parade1 folder(s)2000
- Photographs box: 86 folder: 6
Photographs1 folder(s)1975, undated
- Photographs box: 86 folder: 7
Photographs – Cartes de visite portraits removed from an album1 folder(s)undated
- Photographs box: 86 folder: 8
Photographs – Cartes de visite portraits and tintype portraits from album1 folder(s)1875-1881, undated
- Mixed Materials box: 86 folder: 9-11
Postcard Booklets – Africa, Europe, Japan, Thailand, and Turkey, 3 folders3 folder(s)undated
- Mixed Materials box: 87 folder: 1-13
Postcards from Trips, 13 folders13 folder(s)undated
- Manuscripts box: 88 folder: 1-5
Poetry Notebooks, 5 folders5 folder(s)1947-1951, 2005
- Manuscripts box: 88 folder: 6
Poetry Typescripts1 folder(s)undated
- Manuscripts box: 89 folder: 1-3
Poetry Typescripts, 3 folders3 folder(s)undated
- Manuscripts box: 89 folder: 4-7
Poetry Typescripts, considered for use in a collection, 4 folders4 folder(s)1964 and undatedScope and Contents
These are poems included in a collection, considered but not used in the collection, and poems sent to Lambert Wilson.
- Manuscripts box: 90 folder: 1-2
Short Stories by William S. Kibler, 2 folders2 folder(s)1951 and undated
- Manuscripts box: 90 folder: 3-5
"Impressions of a Disciplinarian" by William S. Kibler, 3 folders3 folder(s)undated
- Manuscripts box: 90 folder: 6
"Voices from the Valley" by William S. Kibler - Typescript Copy sent to the American Literary Press1 folder(s)undated
- Manuscripts box: 91 folder: 1
"Voices from the Valley" by William S. Kibler – Typescript1 folder(s)2001?
- Text box: 91 folder: 2
News clippings concerning William S. Kibler1 folder(s)2001 and undated
- Mixed Materials box: 91 folder: 3-5
School Papers – High School, 3 folders3 folder(s)1925-1930
- Mixed Materials box: 91 folder: 6
School Papers – Radford University1 folder(s)1933
- Mixed Materials box: 91 folder: 7-8
School Papers – University of Virginia, 2 folders2 folder(s)circa 1928-1932
- Mixed Materials box: 92 folder: 1-6
School Papers – University of Virginia, 6 folders6 folder(s)circa 1928-1932
- Mixed Materials box: 92 folder: 7
School Papers – Notes on the Civil War1 folder(s)undated
- Mixed Materials box: 92 folder: 8
School Items – University of Virginia & Harvard University1 folder(s)1929-1938
- Mixed Materials box: 92 folder: 9
Work Applications, etc.1 folder(s)1932-1946, 1955
- Manuscripts box: 93 folder: 1-7
Correspondence, 7 folders7 folder(s)1929-1931 June
- Manuscripts box: 94 folder: 1-5
Correspondence, 5 folders5 folder(s)1931 September-1936 March
- Manuscripts box: 95 folder: 1-7
Correspondence, 7 folders7 folder(s)1936 April-1943 December 30
- Manuscripts box: 96 folder: 1-6
Correspondence, 6 folders6 folder(s)1944 January-1944 April 30
- Manuscripts box: 97 folder: 1-7
Correspondence, 7 folders7 folder(s)1944 May-1944 August 30
- Manuscripts box: 98 folder: 1-5
Correspondence, 5 folders5 folder(s)1944 September 1-1944 November 14
- Manuscripts box: 99 folder: 1-6
Correspondence, 6 folders6 folder(s)1944 November 15-1945 January 31
- Manuscripts box: 100 folder: 1-6
Correspondence, 6 folders6 folder(s)1945 February 1-1945 April 30
- Manuscripts box: 101 folder: 1-6
Correspondence, 6 folders6 folder(s)1945 May 1-1945 December
- Manuscripts box: 102 folder: 1-6
Correspondence – Letters Received, 6 folders6 folder(s)1946 April-1948 March
- Manuscripts box: 103 folder: 1-3
Correspondence – Letters Received, 3 folders3 folder(s)1948 April-1995
- Mixed Materials box: 103 folder: 4
Correspondence – Postcards1 folder(s)1936-1957
- Manuscripts box: 103 folder: 5
Correspondence1 folder(s)undated
- Mixed Materials box: 103 folder: 6
Financial papers1 folder(s)1930-1948
- Mixed Materials box: 103 folder: 7-9
Military papers, 3 folders3 folder(s)1942-1946Scope and Contents
Military papers include Entertainment, Miscellaneous Writings, and Records.